Sempervivum caucasicum
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −23.3 °C
Cultivation
Prefers a well-drained gritty soil in full sun. Hardy to about -15°c. Individual rosettes die after flowering, but produce a number of offsets that continue to grow. This species is closely related to S. tectorum.
Propagation
Seed - surface sow early spring in a cold frame. It usually germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 10°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer if they have made sufficient growth, otherwise grow them on for a further year in pots before planting them out[K]. Division of offsets in spring or early summer. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer. Plants can also be divided in September but these divisions should be overwintered in a greenhouse. Stem cuttings.
Edible uses
Leaves - raw.
Habitat
Sandy and calcareous soils, schistose rocks in alpine and sub-alpine zones.
Native range
W. Asia - Caucasus.